BOSTON, MA: Marrero Events, a leading wedding and event planning firm based in Boston, Massachusetts, was named this week as one of the Top 20 Best Wedding Planners in the Boston / New England region. “With well over 300 planning and design firms, this recognition is an enormous honor; we are in excellent company,” says Paula Marrero, Owner of Marrero Events.

“We work so very hard to exceed the expectations of our couples and their families, and this recognition is so appreciated. As we are launching our new division geared specifically toward LGBTQ couples, this significant industry presence solidifies the philosophy we work daily toward. Weddings aren’t as simple as they once were … we are there to make the day uniquely special for every single couple we work with.”

After planning events for Celebrity Chef, Todd English, Marrero launched her firm in 2005 and the results have been exceptional. Planning to grow their presence throughout southern New England, Marrero Events is one of the premiere event planning firms and specializes in working with long-distance couples planning their wedding from afar.

About Marrero Events

Marrero Events, a premiere wedding planning firm based on Boston’s north shore, has been planning and executing events for clients since 2007 and continues to be the preeminent source for discerning clients throughout New England, servicing clients from Boston through southern Maine and destination locations across the globe. For more information, please visit http://www.marreroevents.com.

Planning your wedding from your phone has been the promise of countless wedding websites to date. Dozens of wedding magazines have tried to advertise this service and they have all failed. Where is the website for the couple that wedding planning assistance without the hefty price-tag? Where is the website that isn’t cluttered with advertisements and doesn’t give vendor recommendations based on how much a particular vendor pays the website? Where is the website with professional planners to answer questions instead of the websites that hire random people with no wedding experience to give out advice and recommendations?

The Pocket Planner is a website where couples can get real advice, customized templates and vendor recommendations from experienced, professional planners who are knowledgeable in your specific region.

Imagine a website where you can select the package right for you and be paired with a professional wedding planner in your area just by answering a few simple questions about your dream wedding day. That’s right! Planners are local to you and know your region and your available resources!

No more national wedding websites providing you with a “concierge” that has no experience and is getting paid to recommend vendors paying them for endorsements. This isn’t a filter system. It is a customized planner program. Your wedding is real! Why shouldn’t your planner be real too?

There are no advertisements and no venue or vendor can pay our team of planners to be recommended. They are hand selected based on their reputation and knowledge of the industry. Finally … a resource for everyone!

A photo speaks volumes …. and these photos tell a beautiful tale of happily ever after! This beautiful couple celebrated a glorious wedding on Thompson Island, offering the very best view of the Boston Skyline available! Enjoy ….

In addition to working directly with our Couples and Venues, Alex will specialize in further developing and managing our Same Sex Weddings Division as we see a tremendous need for more LGBTQ resources in the Boston and surrounding areas.

After college at American University in Washington, DC, Alex’s career began in the financial arena of the corporate world. Through financial market changes, corporate development and finding his passion for the service industry, Alex transitioned his career into hospitality.

With this diverse background, Alex has cultivated a passion for excellence that sets him apart from most. He thoroughly enjoys establishing unique relationships with his clients in order to provide the best experience possible. His attention to detail, knowledge of latest trends and creative approach to planning and executing events are why he is an integral part of the Marrero Events team.

For the love of Maine … yep, Marrero Events certainly has the love of Maine, and we’re proud to announce that in addition to being the premier wedding planning firm throughout greater Boston, we are expanding our services to include Southern Maine Weddings!

Marrero Events has been designing memorable weddings and events in Maine for several years but have decided it’s time to make it official! There are so many beautiful, unique wedding venues in Maine, not to mention the many private homes and estates perfect for a tented celebration!

Boston Magazine recently featured some of the Boston Wedding Group partners to share their expert advice, and Marrero Events was thrilled to be featured.

PHOTO BY PERSON & KILLIAN PHOTOGRAPHY

3 Reasons to Engage Expert Wedding Professionals to Plan Your Big Day

Whether you’re going to the chapel, a beach, or a blooming rose garden to tie the knot, your wedding day will be one of the most special in your life. And even though the planning process can seem overwhelming, it doesn’t have to be.

Now more than ever couples are employing full-service wedding planners to hash out details and assemble harmonious teams of vendors ranging from florists and hairstylists to DJs and photographers – all so they can enjoy the fun parts of the process, like cake-testing and dress shopping instead.

We consulted New England’s full-service marriage resource composed of more than eighty wedding industry professionals, the Boston Wedding Group (BWG) to learn how hiring the right planning team can make the entire wedding experience more blissful.

Here’s why hiring the perfect team of wedding pros will get you hitched without a hitch:

1) You won’t turn into a Bridezilla thanks to your helpful team

When the euphoria of your engagement settles and the reality of wedding planning sets in things can get stressful. After all, there are lots of legal obligations like wedding licenses and government forms for name changes to deal with, not to mention locking down your venue, attire, entertainment, menu, flowers, etc.

Don’t freak!

Instead, select a BWG planning professional like Unique Weddings by Alexis so you can relax and know everything’s happening how and when it should. After all – according to Alexis of Unique Weddings by Alexis – “a true wedding planning professional knows the pitfalls couples can run into and will even make back up plans accordingly – all while saving them time, money and their sanity!”

LisaAnn DuKaten, BWG partner from Sacred Spirit Sanctuary, shared the sentiment and added, “If you’re not using a professional, you’re probably using a friend or family member to help plan your day instead. If that all goes well, wonderful. But when it doesn’t, it can cause strain and damage relationships.”

Avoid the pitfalls and strained relationships that can come from the stress of wedding planning and engage a partner like BWG for back-up instead!

2) You’ll have a trustworthy network at your fingertips.

As with any relationship, it’s important to feel a sense of comfort when selecting the right partners to plan your occasion. That’s why only the highest quality experts gain acceptance into the BWG community. First, all businesses must pass a rigorous application process and adhere to a code of ethics before they can be employed to help carry out your celebratory day, so you can walk down the aisle with the utmost respect and elegance.

And why is this screening process so important?

“Simply put, you don’t know what you don’t know,” said BWG partner, Paula Marrero of Marerro Events. “It’s essential to trust a professional to educate you throughout the process to ensure that you are getting the very most for your money in every capacity.”

Jil Person of BWG’s partner, Person + Killian Photography agreed, adding “Couples often don’t realize until they are in the midst of the planning process all the little things that pop up. Having the right professionals helps avoid so much unnecessary stress during an already emotional journey.”

3) All aspects of your special day will be cohesive

What makes the Boston Wedding Group unique is their unmatched network of over eighty industry experts who work individually and together for a smooth, cohesive affair.

“Our experience provides us with invaluable knowledge to see the entirety of the event as a whole” said Kate Monteiro of BWG partner Capers Catering. And that’s because BWG partners in all categories offer a high-level of commitment while working in tandem to heighten your overall experience.

Take Mimosa Fresh Flower Design. These BWG experts prove how dramatically spaces can be transformed thanks to the perfect blooms. According to Mimosa Fresh Flower Design’s Teresa Fung, “If you don’t have a planner your florist can potentially step in with event design…if you do have a planner, a florist can create stunning pairings between things already selected like linens, chairs and table settings.” – all the more reason to trust a wonderful network that understands how to work together to achieve a common goal!

4) Your partner will make vendor selection simpler.

Because BWG limits the membership of their vendors to three companies per category (officiants, photographers, and bands, for instance) you can bypass the pain of having to start from square one in the search for the best service providers – and avoid sifting through any sketchy duds!

And what’s beneficial about working with the cream of the crop is they come to the table with endless amounts of inspiration for clients in the form of friendly consultations, helpful blog entries and real-life experience that’ll have you living happily ever after in no time.

Ready to take the plunge? Contact the Boston Wedding Group and begin planning the happiest day of your life today!

Maine has always held a special place in my heart. Having grown up on the coast in Rhode Island, the shores and beaches of Maine have always felt like a second home to me. As soon as you drive past the sign welcoming you to Maine and informing you that Maine is “the way life should be”, you know you’re in a good place!

No matter what draws you to Maine, whether it’s the ocean, the breathtaking rocky coast, the celebrity “cottages” or the infinite lobster shanties and blueberry pies, there is just something that is undoubtedly relaxing and special about settling in for a weekend here. Aside from the variety of small towns and secluded coastal nooks and crannies, Maine also offers some very beautiful, very special and very memorable options for weddings! Here are a few of our very favorite Maine Wedding Venues:

I can recall driving around New England several years ago with one of my most favorite Brides of all time, searching for what she called “the perfect tree” to be married under. “I’ll know it when I see it,” I recall her telling me over and over as we drove from barn to barn to barn. When we pulled up to Wells Reserve at Laudholm, I heard her gasp and exclaim “That’s it”. And from that moment on, I have so clearly understood what makes this space so utterly charming, romantic and unlike any other wedding space in New England.

Driving into Laudholm is beautiful, and as soon as you see the old barn and vast grounds, it’s clear that this is unabashedly, quintessentially Maine with it’s rolling grassy fields leading right down to a beautiful clearing of beach suitable for the most breathtaking of wedding photos! There is something for everyone on this property and whether you have a smaller, more intimate wedding in their barn or a more upscale, larger tented wedding, this venue is sure to delight and leave your guests saying, “Ahhhhh” as they depart! Laudholm is simply romantic, charming, and utterly blissful.

Hidden Pond Resort

If your idea of celebrating your wedding weekend with your family and friends includes spending as much time together as possible in a luxurious yet rustic woodland retreat, then Hidden Pond is the perfect venue for you!

Offering luxuriously appointed bungalows and cottages straight out of a Pottery Barn catalog, this retreat is world renowned for it’s world-class cuisine at Earth, it’s onsite restaurant complete with an adults only section underneath roaring fire pits and poolside seating.

Whether you celebrate your nuptials in their woodland barn, add a bit of sparkle by having a tented celebration or marry on the beach, Hidden Pond Resort is definitely a magical location!

Located right on Ocean Avenue steps away from the charming Kennbunkport shops and restaurants, the Nonantum Resort offers one of the most elegant seaside wedding venues. The beauty of this gem of a resort is that your guests can all stay in one location and enjoy every second of your wedding weekend! Whether you prefer an outdoor, tented wedding or a wedding inside their seaside ballroom, you will have the wedding of your dreams at the Nonantum Resort.

This resort is also steps away from some of the most stunning, soft sand beaches in New England and your guests will love to sit and relax amidst the adirondack chairs strewn throughout the back.

Wedding celebrations at French’s Point have the combined feel of a family vacation and a reunion with friends with that extra icing on the cake – a wedding! Couples choose French’s Point for their wedding location because of the beautiful grounds & facilities, the extensive privacy, and because there is literally something for everyone! Your guests can enjoy everything from morning yoga to attending the most special wedding they’ve ever seen … Yours!

Filled to capacity, Cerbelli’s “greatest fans” anxiously await the opening act of what has surely become one of the most high-energy, get-up-out-of-your-seat-and-cheer, live announcement of the event industry’s hottest trendsetters, products and services!

Mr. Michael Cerbelli confidently takes the stage amidst rock-and-roll ice carving artists, ICE BEAT FACTORY and high-energy rocker-slash-violinists, MONTREAL RHAPSODY ORCHESTRA, two of the coolest damn performers we have seen in years! It’s hard not to get sucked in immediately by Cerbelli’s overly-confident charm, albeit sexy bugger that he is.

The Hot List has grown to become one of the Industry’s go-to resources for all things event, and certainly this year’s List did not disappoint! We encourage you to take a second (and third, and fourth) look at every single talent mentioned in this year’s List! And until you do, we’ll leave you with this phenomenal promo video of Montreal Rhapsody Orchestra because we just cannot get enough of them! Click here … and we dare you not to dance in your seat!

The following article is a repost of a brand new blog from Bitchless Bride, as featured by The Huffington Post. Bitchless Bride is widely known for telling it how it is whether you like it or not, and when this elusive source speaks, the Industry listens! Enjoy this piece which offers the BEST Advice from the BEST Wedding Vendors in Boston!!

The BEST Advice from the BEST Wedding Vendors in Boston

Bridey, today’s post is like hitting the jackpot of wedding planning. SERIOUSLY. If you are recently engaged or are in the midst of planning your wedding, stop what you’re doing, and focus because you are about to be educated by the BEST in the wedding biz! I asked some of my absolute FAVORITE vendors in the Boston area to share the best piece of advice about planning a wedding, and these peeps? Well, they completely spilled the beans. I mean… There is so much wedding planning goodness in this post, that I could fucking chew it!!!

I rarely say cheesy shit like this, but this is a must read!! So, are you ready to learn? Ready to say, “Thank you, Bitchless Bride!!” Good! You’re welcome!

Wedding Planners:

When you are newly engaged, you tend to become inundated with information overload and it can be daunting to say the least. My advice to newly-engaged couples is to forgo the route of hiring all of your vendors until you’ve secured the right, professional, experienced wedding planner. Some couples feel it’s best to hire a “day of” coordinator and do the rest themselves, only to learn how much money could have been easily saved by avoiding costly mistakes and uneducated decisions along the way. The right planner should be your guide, your educator, your confidant, your representative along the way and you need to put your trust into this person as they do this every day and truly look out for your best interests from the start.

Don’t panic, it’s all overwhelming at first but it’s important to book the top 3 first-top priorities (if you’re not working with a planner) are to find your venue, photographer and band–then breathe! I also advise brides to wait to design the space until about 6 months before the wedding… You’ll be able to have a couple months thinking about ideas, pinning on Pinterest , etc… I find that so many of my clients go in with one idea and once they’ve relaxed and see what is out there or trending in their wedding year they change their idea of what their wedding looks like–so ultimately they get what they want instead of what they thought they wanted–big difference!

Invitations are the introduction of your wedding to your friends and family; they set the tone for the event. You can’t just get a quote as there are a lot of factors to consider such as quantity, quality, type of inserts, type of print, etc. There is a lot more involved then most people realize. So, plan accordingly.

Once your venue is booked, the next step is to lock in your entertainment. In order to get the best DJ or band out there, you have to book well in advance. Remember, first and foremost? Your guests are going to remember if they had a good time. That’s why good entertainment is vital.

Always ask your entertainment vendor about their other recommended services. This is how you get the best deals without making a laundry list of phone calls. They may already have what you need and could save you time and money without sacrificing quality.

Lately couples are asking me if they should do the “first look”. My answer is always YES! The first reveal is always so sweet. The moment is far more emotion and allows for a more intimate/private moment with just the couple.

Some brides envision this grand moment when they are walking down the aisle, and the groom is sobbing… However, in reality, in a traditional formal setting with 200 people looking at you… The groom often looks like a deer in head lights. Not at all the magical moment you think it will be! So yes, do a first look!

Don’t do a winter e-session! People look freezing, and are super uncomfortable. Nothing like having dirty snow and branches coming out of everyone’s heads! Wait until the spring when the temperatures are higher, and the trees start to bloom. I highly suggest April-November.

~ Anonymous Photographer

Cinematography:

1. Make sure that your photographer and videographer work well as a team. Even better, choose a team where your photographer and videographer have worked together and enjoy the experience.

2. Ask your prospective wedding film maker how they operate during the wedding day. Will they have lights on their cameras? Will they be on the dance floor circling the couple during the first dance? Will they stand behind the officiant during the ceremony – Or will they stake out spots based on experience and fade into the decor?

3. Ask your toasters to limit toasts to under 5 minutes. 3 is even better. There’s not much they can say (that won’t be dumb or embarrassing) after a couple of minutes.

4. Invite your guests to leave their phones and cameras in their pockets or purses. You’re paying for pros to document your wedding – don’t let the amateurs get in the way!

5. When considering wedding cinematography, check out the sound as well as the images of potential pros. Capturing pristine sound of your grandfather’s blessing and knowing how to integrate it with music and image, is a complex art form. Don’t settle for pretty pictures if you already have a photographer you love. When it comes to film making, sound is 60% or more.

6. If you desperately want a top notch film maker to capture your wedding, and have a limited budget, consider one of the following:

a. Grab pics from the HD / 24 Frames per second of the video capture and forego the photographer.

b. Hire the film maker you want and see if you can work out a payment plan that works for you.

c. Opt for the best film maker you can afford, ask them to produce a short highlights now, and wait until you’ve financially recovered to have them edit the feature film.

Everyone loves a good discount. A bargain. A value. But value is relative and comes in a lot of forms. What we offer our clients is a value because the service is great. It works best when our clients who hire us, trust us, want to work with us, allow us to do what we do best! We provide a client experience, not just a service. But a bargain, now that’s a little different. When I go to Nordstrom Rack, I feel accomplished because I didn’t spend as much on the Kate Spade as if I were to go to the Kate Spade store. But we all know the bag I got on discount was last season’s model. It’s discounted because it’s not the best that Kate Spade currently offers. And that’s how discounts should work- discounts are provided when the quality is not the same or the service is pared down.

But even then, when potential clients want to pare down services for a better rate, it makes me nervous for them. Yes, we are a year out from your wedding, you want to do this, you can do this… awesome, right? Not awesome. When you hit that three month count down, your whole world will be begging you to hire help at any cost. As a professional planner myself, I couldn’t and wouldn’t go through it again on my own for my own wedding. The emotional toll is exhausting. I’ve been doing this for over 10 years on a full-time basis. I know what you don’t know and, more importantly, what you don’t know that you don’t know. We cannot pare down our service or process– in doing so, we lose quality, your day suffers and even our own reputation is at stake. Our vendor and venue colleagues expect a certain level of service when working with us and we aim to provide it. Mainly, because it is what is best for you and the one chance you have for a flawless wedding day.

To be totally and fairly honest, when I’m asked to give a discount, I’m a bit offended. These days, I think blogs train brides to ask for discounts so I don’t take it personally. But I do raise my eyebrows a bit. Can you imagine if I were to walk into my dentist and ask for a discount? That’s just not how things work. We are a real business that offers real services, real education, real guidance and – most importantly – real ability to make split-second judgement calls on your wedding day on your behalf. In addition to what you see, there is so much that you don’t see from our office rent, staff, taxes, insurance, marketing, and so on. What we excel in may not be a tangible product that you can hold in your hand, but it’s still a service … a very valuable service that is a product of years of experience, knowledge, education, and being in the trenches.

So for these reasons and more, we also do not request discounts from the vendors we work with. I know right here I may have lost half of you because the whole reason you are here is because The Knot or some other pretty blog told you that your wedding planner would secure some discounts for you. Here is the real deal ladies and gentlemen … when asking a vendor for a discount, what they hear is “I do not value your service” and what they then do is provide weaker service. YES, some of our vendors are able to provide discounts and – more importantly – extra services and/or products for the same rate, because having us leading the charge means they don’t have to do as much leg work and can eliminate some of their hours and maybe even staffing. So while it’s not a discount, you will certainly be getting the most you can for your money.

The best way for me to save you money is for you to allow me to do my job in the first place – connect you with the right vendors, create a feasible timeline for the weekend, act as the conduit between you and your vendors to ensure that everyone is playing well in the sandbox and to guarantee the most flawless of wedding days. By asking for a discount, by securing a “day of” coordinator vs. hiring a full-service consultant to guide you from making poor initial choices is the safest way we can save you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. Which we do. Every day. For every wedding. Remember that we have been educating ourselves for years on what you are trying to research in one month.

The bottom line is that when you value your vendors, they value you and put your wedding first. Your goal is to be someone’s priority and being that means making them a priority as well. As great as they sound in theory, I promise you with all of my heart, discounts will negatively impact your wedding day. Things WILL go wrong on your wedding day; it’s inevitable. But how the professional and experienced vendors that you hire and respect enough to pay their requested fee will handle is is where you get everything you pay for.

While I think it’s important to educate you on how discounts can negatively impact you, I also think it’s important for you to know that your vendors are real people with real hearts. We really do care! We aren’t ‘no’ people and we want to help. We may not be able to give discounts but talk to us about your hesitations, we may have some other tricks up our sleeves that can still accomplish your goals. Remember, the better your wedding day is for you, the better it is for us. Talking about money is hard, we are looking for the best value, but the reality is that we are all on the same team. We are all invested in making your wedding day the best day of your lives thus far! Please trust in the vendors you hire!